Page 169 of Collided

“Just a stupid body reaction,” I say, hoping she believes me.

“But—”

I start to back up. “I should go. I have to be home to make dinner.”

“You want a ride?”

“No, thank you.”

She nods and watches me as I hurry out of the school.

I don’t want to hurt Marie. She’s my friend. But I also can’t burden her with my worries.

34

Heath

Hope is ignoring me.

She thinks I’m a fucking fool if I don’t notice, but I do.

I notice everything when it comes to her.

So, it amuses me when she thinks she’s invisible, but she’sallI can see.

She tries to blend in the background, but I’d pick her up even in a kaleidoscope of colors. She’s anything but a shade that’s supposed to not capture your attention. My attention.

It’s been three fucking days.

Three days of absolute shit.

I can’t concentrate on shit. In the two classes that we share, I try to meet her gaze, but she refuses to look at me.

I haven’t looked in her eyes for three days and it’s driving me fucking insane.

No one has ever affected me this much. No one.

The pretty book nerd has me going insane over her.

I know her routine by now; she arrives late at school, sits away from me, spends lunch in the library saying she has tests, and then leaves school early.

It’s the same shit every day.

Today, I’m putting an end to it.

I’m going to ask herwhat the fuck is wrong?She thinks I don’t notice how one side of her cheek is a little swollen and red, and the way she keeps her distance from everyone and doesn’t say a word when she’s with us.

Entering the mass of students in the hallway, I glare at a few to clear my path. They all cower away from me.

Thursday is as busy as every other school day. The hallway is filled with people who can’t stop talking.

Marie and Sebastian are standing next to Marie’s locker, keeping an eye on me. Marie is also worried for Hope and has been driving Sebastian and me crazy with her plans to help Hope. I swear, if she comes to know about my abuse theory, she’ll be raging a storm on the two of us.

Leaning against my locker, I narrow my gaze on Hope who’s collecting books from her locker. She’s in a white sweater and jeans that fit her ass perfectly—yes I’m fucking staring at it. Her hair is down, and the dark tresses frame her face, hiding that red cheek from my view.Good. Otherwise, it’d piss me off.

The second she slams her locker shut, I’m striding in her direction. She never sees me coming, which works because she can’t run away from me like she’s been doing lately. I take hold of her wrist and slip us into the nearest classroom and close the door.

Turning around, I face her, only to see her wide eyes and pale face. That’s not how I wanted her to look at me after three fucking days.

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